
Keep talking to the hand— it’s our friend Ike Barinholtz. Hustling, trivia, college, bottle-service, true mirrors, and a Southwest flight home. “Hey guys, where did you go?” It’s an all-new SmartLess.
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Jason Bateman
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Sean Hayes
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Jason Bateman
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Sean Hayes
It means a materially different credit card accepted anywhere in the world.
Ike Barinholtz
MasterCard is accepted.
Sean Hayes
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Jason Bateman
Hello, this is Captain JB up here in Skycopter 4 and there's a. What are we looking at today? A. There's a little bit of a congestion over there.
Sean Hayes
Jb, you lost your license.
Jason Bateman
Yeah.
Sean Hayes
Bring the chopper back. You lost your. You're not supposed to.
Jason Bateman
World's going to switch other programming here. Welcome to Smart Smart.
Sean Hayes
Smart. Smart Less.
Will Arnett
Doesn't Jason kind of look like he just woke up and he just woke up. He's gonna have a bowl of cereal and watch cartoons.
Jason Bateman
I've had cereal. I've had my granola, my sugar free, gluten free granola with my unsweetened almond milk. I wanna just blow my brains out. That sounds like Jesus just halfway describing it. It's just terrible.
Sean Hayes
You're finally getting it. You're finally getting it.
Jason Bateman
Free yerba mate.
Will Arnett
It looks like urine.
Jason Bateman
It's not. It's not worth it, right? Will, didn't you say I was gonna. I was gonna die without a whole lot of water retention.
Will Arnett
But it'll.
Jason Bateman
I'll be young and remember.
Sean Hayes
The whole idea is that I was going to be at your bedside eating a sundae with 30 years to go, right?
Jason Bateman
And me and my wooden teeth will be sitting in a casket.
Sean Hayes
I. J.B. you got like a really like. You got like a sort of sexy like post sex look. Did you just.
Will Arnett
I'm saying, right?
Jason Bateman
Well, does the hand count?
Will Arnett
Oh, no, no.
Jason Bateman
I don't do that.
Sean Hayes
Talk to the hand. Keep talking to the hand. Keep talking to the hand.
Jason Bateman
I just. I'm just. I was telling Sean I just did some reading, that's all. This is just me and reading. Reading things.
Will Arnett
This is reading for the movie you're doing? Yeah.
Jason Bateman
For maybe what might follow. You know, we're hustlers, you know, us people. We're constantly getting hired and fired and you gotta try build a bridge to the next check.
Will Arnett
That's right.
Jason Bateman
Always.
Sean Hayes
Yep. I know.
Jason Bateman
Why don't we just stop? How about we just stop?
Sean Hayes
I know.
Will Arnett
Let's just stop, you know, because you know what I hear from you if we stopped.
Sean Hayes
Let's just chat.
Jason Bateman
We'll just chat once a week, you know, and we don't. We don't have to do any reading and we don't have to do any. You know, it's hurts getting up crazy hours and. And being away from our families.
Sean Hayes
Oh, my God, your voice is kind of wormly.
Jason Bateman
Well, I'm here in Lonely. In New York.
Sean Hayes
I know. Don't be there.
Will Arnett
Wait.
Sean Hayes
I'm there soon, JB and for the first couple weeks, I'm going to be across the street from you until I move in to my place. Yeah, yeah. I'm going to be right there. So I'm going to come and I'll come and spoon you at night.
Will Arnett
I'm there in June, late June, and we're good.
Sean Hayes
We're going to be good. So. Yeah, JB But I'm going to.
Will Arnett
I knew that was coming.
Jason Bateman
See, that's what's generous about us3. We each take turns. It's setting each other up to hurt our own feelings.
Will Arnett
Now, J.B. do you like being isolated like that, that by yourself there and all that stuff?
Jason Bateman
I do. You know, I was thinking the other day that I have lived in a number of these temporary situations because of. Of work in various places around.
Will Arnett
Yeah.
Jason Bateman
And. And I was actually. I was thinking, well, I'm kind of surprised that I've made a friend of that. And I'm kind of comfortable with that because, you know, you know me. I am so. I'm so locked and committed and comfortable in my. In my cave at home.
Ike Barinholtz
Like, I don't.
Jason Bateman
I don't leave.
Sean Hayes
But you create a cave. You create a cave everywhere you go.
Jason Bateman
It's true. I'm good about, like, immediately, just every
Sean Hayes
time you get into rental. I remember in Atlanta when I was living in that building underneath, beneath you. You had your cave there with your couch and your thing. Right.
Jason Bateman
The couch has got to be in a situation where I can be laying down perpendicular looking. Yes. So that I'M looking across my body, over my feet, right to the tv.
Sean Hayes
The couch is again, perpendicular to the television. Yeah. And then if I've.
Jason Bateman
I doubt I'm comfy.
Sean Hayes
Remember, on tour, every hotel, immediately, couch
Will Arnett
right in the corner, and then the
Sean Hayes
TV on JB Wood. Then you come out to Long island, you get to my house, Everybody's outside, and JB's on the couch.
Jason Bateman
I know, but then, unfortunately, that's usually. That's usually the host's spot. That's your spot.
Sean Hayes
No, no, because remember, I had those two.
Jason Bateman
You do the corner.
Sean Hayes
I have those two corners.
Jason Bateman
Yeah, you do the other. Why do you do that? Why don't you.
Will Arnett
But every single. Yeah. And every single time you come over here, Jay, you. You got your spot on the couch exactly how you just described.
Jason Bateman
And I feel bad that this must be. This is the prime spot. Sean. I'm sorry I'm in your spot. Will. I'm sorry I'm in your spot, and you just don't. You don't care.
Will Arnett
Nobody. You got. That's your spot.
Sean Hayes
But I do the same. Like last summer, somebody came in, and we were watching soccer, and Bradley and I were in that same configuration, and we were both asleep, and my brother came in. We were both on the couch midday.
Jason Bateman
What's your brother's name?
Sean Hayes
Quick, quick, quick. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck.
Jason Bateman
Okay, good.
Will Arnett
Wait, Jason. But Jason.
Sean Hayes
Chuck Arnett. Quick, shout out to Chuck Arnett.
Will Arnett
Hey, Chuck, Wait. But, Chase, I just need to know that you don't get. So After a while of being isolated, don't you miss people and the opposite of that.
Jason Bateman
I would if in those situations when I'm isolated by myself in a foreign city, I'm not spending 12 hours during the day with hundreds of people in my new family on each one of those. Right. So it's. Again, it's that black, white situation. There's no.
Sean Hayes
Are we now able to. Are we allowed to talk about your new family? Because I didn't know if the public knew about this or whatever.
Jason Bateman
Not that one. Not that one. I'm talking about the one.
Sean Hayes
This is exciting news that we get to do it. We've just scooped Harvey Lev tmz. This is fun.
Will Arnett
Three children.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, it's amazing. I'll tell you what's amazing.
Jason Bateman
Oh, really?
Sean Hayes
Our surprise guest.
Jason Bateman
He. Pull up a chair.
Sean Hayes
He's one of the greats when it comes to comedy.
Jason Bateman
Huh?
Will Arnett
He.
Sean Hayes
He got his start on MAD TV.
Will Arnett
Oh, that's.
Sean Hayes
He's been in over 100 episodes. He's been in so many things. That we love these days. He's in a. That he created with Minda Kaling that's coming back for season two called Running Point. But he's also lately been known as one of the breakout, amazing, hilarious stars of Apple TV's the Studio. Guys, it's our friend. Our friend. It's Ike. Barry.
Will Arnett
At all.
Jason Bateman
Okay, Ike,
Ike Barinholtz
first, can I just shout out Chuck Arnett real quick? Is that.
Jason Bateman
Of course, Chucky Onion, my guy. Oh, Ike, this is great. This is.
Sean Hayes
This.
Jason Bateman
Now, this is a guest, will.
Ike Barinholtz
Yeah, I know this is a guest. This is one of the gu. Guys.
Sean Hayes
This is one of the guys. All right. I'm so glad you're here. I. You're one. I was thinking about this morning. I was. I was pouring myself a coffee this morning, and I said to myself, I
Jason Bateman
said, great, fill us in. What, did you put sugar in it, too?
Sean Hayes
No, stevia. Well, if I'm being real, truvia. And then some ripple. Half and half.
Jason Bateman
Because it's ripple.
Sean Hayes
It's so good. Pea Base. Ripple.
Jason Bateman
You talk about cheap liquor.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, so.
Jason Bateman
And it's pee based.
Sean Hayes
Ike, you and I met. You and you and I met. I don't know. It is pee based. It's made in Canada, by the way. Don't you know? Eh?
Jason Bateman
Who is that?
Ike Barinholtz
Right?
Sean Hayes
Hey. Hey, bud. I got some peas here. Should we make some? Half an hour. Let her ripple.
Jason Bateman
Give her.
Sean Hayes
Give her bud. Oh, is that right?
Ike Barinholtz
Eh.
Will Arnett
Wait, where are you?
Sean Hayes
So, Ike, I just want to say before we find out where you are, Ike, we've known each other for about 20 years, and I was thinking. And I was thinking, Ike is one of those guys you're always happy to see.
Will Arnett
Yeah, yeah.
Sean Hayes
In person.
Ike Barinholtz
Come on.
Sean Hayes
On the screen, doing stuff. It's a rare. No, you're. You're one of the rare ones.
Jason Bateman
Is there something darker there that you've kept hidden from. Let's talk about it.
Ike Barinholtz
Let's talk about it.
Sean Hayes
Yeah.
Ike Barinholtz
First time my dad beat the hell out of me.
Jason Bateman
Yep.
Will Arnett
Oh, wow.
Ike Barinholtz
Hey, guys, I should say first, I'm a huge fan of this show. I'm a massive fan. I've listened to, I think, every episode.
Jason Bateman
Try to butter up early.
Ike Barinholtz
This is what this is. My plan is to.
Will Arnett
What's your favorite? What's your least favorite? No kidding.
Ike Barinholtz
Of the three of us, we can't name names.
Sean Hayes
You can't name names. Last time I saw Ike in person, I surprised him on a morning he was staying at Amy's apartment in New York, and I was coming to pick up a jacket or something.
Jason Bateman
Can we stop there?
Sean Hayes
Yeah, yeah. No, this is not breaking news. It's not breaking news. They're not. Amy and Ike are not together anymore.
Ike Barinholtz
No, no, no. Not anymore. She let me her apartment while I was doing a Broadway show.
Sean Hayes
He was doing a Broadway show.
Ike Barinholtz
Greatest thing ever to stay in that place. My God. So.
Sean Hayes
So Ike was doing. Ike was doing this play on Broadway.
Ike Barinholtz
Yes.
Sean Hayes
And you were kind of right in the middle. Were you just starting. I forget.
Ike Barinholtz
We were. We were right in the middle when I saw you.
Will Arnett
What?
Sean Hayes
What.
Will Arnett
What was it?
Ike Barinholtz
Yeah, I was Chicago. I was playing Roxy Hart.
Sean Hayes
It was.
Ike Barinholtz
I got blasted by the critics, and rightfully so, quite frankly.
Jason Bateman
They didn't buy it. Huh?
Ike Barinholtz
They didn't like it. They didn't like my take on it because I played it just as like a bro.
Sean Hayes
Yeah.
Will Arnett
You follow Cheetah Rivera?
Ike Barinholtz
Yeah. It didn't catch.
Jason Bateman
You didn't try to do anything feminine at all with it.
Ike Barinholtz
You just.
Jason Bateman
Total bro take.
Ike Barinholtz
Yeah. No, like, yeah, I reached for the gun.
Jason Bateman
Now, Ike, have you done a bunch of theater or was that just the one? The one pop there?
Ike Barinholtz
I started with, you know, improv in Chicago back in the day, but that was my first time doing the Great White Way. Yeah, I still say that.
Jason Bateman
Did people come backstage and visit you after the show?
Will Arnett
Oh, no, we're not.
Jason Bateman
Hang on. We're creating a consensus here.
Sean Hayes
Did people come and say about. How do you. After the show?
Ike Barinholtz
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Jason Bateman
And did you enjoy that?
Ike Barinholtz
I did, yeah. I mean, we had friends come backstage, but then you do the stage door. The stage door, which is crazy.
Will Arnett
It's called Act 3.
Sean Hayes
Act 3.
Ike Barinholtz
You go out and you. You schmooze and you sign autographs and take selfies, and that really touched me.
Will Arnett
I thought.
Ike Barinholtz
And you give the actors, right, and
Sean Hayes
you give it to other people because you do it for them, because it's not all about you. Right. Go ahead, Jason.
Ike Barinholtz
Just. It's not all about me.
Jason Bateman
Hold. Sean, why wouldn't we call that Act 4 outside? Are we talking about a typical.
Will Arnett
Usually things are in two acts.
Jason Bateman
Usually it's a three act.
Will Arnett
Well, in. In plays and musicals, there's two acts.
Sean Hayes
God, I got to get you the Internet.
Jason Bateman
What? Just because of the. The whatchamacallit? The halftime there.
Ike Barinholtz
The intermission.
Jason Bateman
Is there any show during halftime?
Sean Hayes
Hang on. I'm going to do everybody. Jason, I'm about to do you a favor. Today's guest, it's Ike Barinholz.
Jason Bateman
Hey, quick edit point.
Sean Hayes
We can just take it all over. No, you like Started you like people coming back because this, Jason's right. That we are trying to figure out. This is a long term study that we're doing over here at SM Loose.
Jason Bateman
I hear that you are supposed, if you are somewhat famous.
Will Arnett
Oh my God, here we go.
Jason Bateman
Are somewhat obligated to go backstage afterwards regardless of whether you know anyone in the cast and go, you know, say hi to them and tell them what you thought about the show. And I've just, I've just thought that, that it would be presumptuous and also would delay those actors getting home and resting.
Sean Hayes
Ike thoughts?
Ike Barinholtz
I, I, it really depends on the celebrity. Like for instance, Jason, if you were there and you came backstage, it would be so exciting. We would take pictures, everyone would be excited. But if, like, I don't know, Careful, Rob Schneider showed up, I'm just, he's a name I'm throwing out there. Shots fired, but like, you know what I mean? Or someone who was like, we gotta
Jason Bateman
stay behind for person X, Y or Z.
Ike Barinholtz
Right? Yeah. So, so it could, it could be, it goes both ways.
Sean Hayes
How fun would it be like if you were backstage and all of a sudden Jason came back and he just actually said it. He on the, just said, hey, I'm famous. So let's talk.
Jason Bateman
And where should we sit? Because I've got notes. Let's go back into your dressing room.
Will Arnett
Is it locked?
Sean Hayes
Just famous guy to famous guy.
Jason Bateman
You know, I know what you were going for, but let me tell you what's reading.
Sean Hayes
Well, you can go ahead and take the wink out of it. That would be. That's a lot. That's a lot.
Jason Bateman
Now I was sitting about mid house and I really wasn't feeling there in the third act.
Ike Barinholtz
You were mid house.
Sean Hayes
I hate famous Jason. I hate famous Jason so much.
Will Arnett
Wait, the fact that you have at the ready. I know what you were going for, but here's what's reading. Like you have that in your head.
Sean Hayes
Ready to go.
Jason Bateman
Well, I'm getting ready to direct over here.
Sean Hayes
You know, I'm in prep. Yeah, he's in prep. I saw a video of JB and our buddy Sam Rockwell at the Knicks game. And it was footage at msg. And they're walking and Jason's talked to him. It looked like he was giving him notes on the way to their seats.
Jason Bateman
Started shooting yet.
Sean Hayes
We haven't started shooting. And if I'm Rockwell, I'm like, hey, man, I just came to watch the next game.
Jason Bateman
I know what you're planning on doing. Let me tell you how that's probably gonna read.
Sean Hayes
And San. So nice. He probably just took it, but, God, what exhausting.
Jason Bateman
Shout out. Before we're done here, shout out to the nice folks over there at MSG for accommodating me there, front row center. Thank you, Trey. And the group over there. It's just then those next. They brought it home that night.
Sean Hayes
They're a classy organization.
Jason Bateman
I don't know when this is airing, but it's.
Ike Barinholtz
They're looking good.
Sean Hayes
They look pretty good. That's what Sean's been. Sean's been saying this all season.
Will Arnett
Yeah.
Jason Bateman
So just on a loop.
Sean Hayes
On a loop of weapons.
Will Arnett
Are you guys talking about Knicks?
Sean Hayes
Yeah. Here we go.
Jason Bateman
Spell it. Spell it, Sean. Spell it real quick. K, N and what's it short for?
Will Arnett
Nicaragua?
Ike Barinholtz
Knickerbocker is Nicaragua.
Will Arnett
Oh, is it really Knickerbocker?
Sean Hayes
Yeah, it is.
Jason Bateman
Higher. Higher, Sean.
Will Arnett
Is it really Knickerbocker?
Sean Hayes
Listen, listen.
Jason Bateman
Are we higher at just a. Just a dash more gay?
Sean Hayes
Okay.
Jason Bateman
And still rolling.
Will Arnett
Okay. Is it. Is it really Knickerbocker?
Sean Hayes
Wait.
Jason Bateman
Barinholtz today.
Ike Barinholtz
Welcome.
Sean Hayes
Welcome to the show. It's Ike Barinholtz. Another cut point.
Ike Barinholtz
Wow.
Sean Hayes
Hey, now, listen, I was gonna. I was gonna have a different intro for Sean, but I was gonna open with. Because, Sean, because, Ike, you're from Chicago, and obviously the question is. I'm from Glen Ellen. Oh, Glen Ellen. Have you been to Glen Ellen?
Ike Barinholtz
I have been to Glen Ellen. I've been to all the glens. A lot of glens in Chicago.
Sean Hayes
Here we go.
Will Arnett
Glenview. Glenview.
Sean Hayes
Have you ever been to Portillo's?
Ike Barinholtz
I've been to Portillo's many a time, my friend. Chocolate cake shake. That's a milk shake where they dump a big slice of cake.
Will Arnett
Jason said in Ozark, chocolate cake shake from Pertillas. And he doesn't.
Ike Barinholtz
Oh, my God. Katherine Hahn, by the way, is watching Ozark now.
Will Arnett
The best.
Jason Bateman
Oh, my God. She just sent me a text yesterday, as a matter of fact. That's weird. You must be working with her.
Ike Barinholtz
Yes.
Jason Bateman
So, yeah, she sent me a text. She said, hey, I'm really embarrassingly late on this, but you're great in Ozark. Or something like that. I was just like, who says that? Kathryn Hahn, the greatest love of my life. And I said, I was just so excited that she's seeing it for the first time. I was just like, oh. Was so tempted to say, what's. What's your favorite part?
Ike Barinholtz
Yeah. She would come to set, and she's like, ozark is amazing. We're like, we know.
Jason Bateman
I wonder why she started watching that. I wonder if it.
Sean Hayes
She must have. She must have tapped everything else out.
Jason Bateman
All her subscriptions had.
Will Arnett
Had.
Jason Bateman
Had maxed out.
Sean Hayes
And she found an old iPad that belonged to a neighbor, and it was loaded.
Ike Barinholtz
Han told me a story. She. She had Laura Dern's phone number, and she would text Laura Dern sometimes and had, like, a little bit of a texting relationship with her. And then when David lynch passed away, Han reached out and was like, I'm so sorry about your collaborator. I know how much he meant to you. And the person said, I don't think this is who you think it is. Oh, no. And it was the worst. Tina Fey Standen from this is where I leave you.
Jason Bateman
And there's years of texts.
Ike Barinholtz
10 years. Who she thought was Laura
Jason Bateman
just staying in loose, casual contact with over the years.
Will Arnett
Oh, God. Wait a minute. Ike, where are you? Are you in New York right now?
Ike Barinholtz
I'm in. I'm in London, Mike. Here's proof. I'm in London. Look, the bottle lid doesn't come off.
Will Arnett
I know. How annoying was that on all the plastic bottles? They don't come off, they just hang.
Jason Bateman
Is that true?
Ike Barinholtz
Yeah, it's gonna hang there.
Jason Bateman
That's. That's not a bad design idea.
Ike Barinholtz
It's kind of smart, actually, we think,
Will Arnett
but it's hard to screw it back on.
Ike Barinholtz
And then you do sometimes.
Sean Hayes
Like, I was wondering why you had. You got your mic jacked on your. On your rolling luggage. Is that on your luggage?
Will Arnett
Is the mic?
Ike Barinholtz
Rob was like, you got some books, right? I was like, no, this hotel room doesn't have any books. So I have it on my roller bag.
Jason Bateman
I love.
Sean Hayes
You said, wait, wait, it's no video, right?
Will Arnett
It's no video.
Jason Bateman
It is a great composition there with your little frame there. There's one little wheel, bottom left.
Sean Hayes
Are you shooting. Are you shooting the studio over there right now? Is that what's happening?
Ike Barinholtz
We are actually here for. We're here for the baftas, mate. We got nominated for a bloody bafta.
Will Arnett
Oh, that's great. Congratulations.
Ike Barinholtz
It's very cool. It's weird, though. It's that we're best foreign show. So all the other shows that are nominated, some of them I've heard of, but a lot of them are like. Like BBC1 shows that are like, are you quite through now, sir? You know what I mean? Just like weird British shows that you don't know in the States.
Sean Hayes
Well, that's fun. Congrats on the thing. So. So, dude, You've done so much stuff we. We mentioned. So let's talk. You. You did start in Chicago. We're talking about.
Will Arnett
Did you grow up in Chicago, Ike?
Ike Barinholtz
Yes, I grew up in Uptown, exactly one mile away from Wrigley Field.
Will Arnett
Oh, wow. In the city.
Ike Barinholtz
Right in the heart of the heart of the city right there.
Will Arnett
Yeah.
Sean Hayes
In the city. Not some 80 miles away, you know, from nothing Chicago.
Jason Bateman
Nothing but tire tread marks all over the road.
Will Arnett
No, I used to. Well, Wrigley, near Wrigley is the. Is Boys Town. I spent.
Ike Barinholtz
I basically, honestly kind of grew up in Boys Town.
Will Arnett
Yeah. Yeah. All the kids everywhere.
Ike Barinholtz
We would go to the gay parade.
Jason Bateman
It's super gay around Wrigley Field.
Will Arnett
Yeah. Oh, yeah.
Jason Bateman
Is that right?
Will Arnett
Yeah.
Jason Bateman
Yeah.
Will Arnett
Yeah.
Jason Bateman
We'll be right back.
Will Arnett
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Sean Hayes
So you grew up in the city and I know that you.
Will Arnett
So you're, you're sort of Second City and all that.
Sean Hayes
Yeah. Was improv. You kind of. You started in improv on stage.
Ike Barinholtz
Big improv guy I saw. Yeah, I, I. College didn't really work. And then I went to the Improv Olympics, like 10 year anniversary show, and I saw Amy Poehler, I saw Adam McKay. Tim Meadows in particular was so, so funny that I was like, I'm gonna sign up for improv classes. And I really just, just immerse myself in that whole.
Will Arnett
That's amazing.
Ike Barinholtz
The trifecta.
Sean Hayes
The. The trifecta. Were there people who were kind of in your year back then who you still are work with or tight with? Like, who else?
Ike Barinholtz
Oh, yeah, I mean, Jack McBrayer is a very dear friend of mine.
Sean Hayes
No, we don't consider him.
Ike Barinholtz
You don't like Jack?
Sean Hayes
No, Jack is a Persona.
Ike Barinholtz
Yeah, he's not, he's not that great. But like, Seth Meyers was kind of my generation. Sudeikis was around there. John Lutz, like that crew was around there. Lutz, one of the all time, one
Sean Hayes
of the all time greats. Love Lutz. Ye.
Jason Bateman
I mean, what between Second City, UCB and Groundlings. I mean, if there was like a little Olympics going, how do you think those, those three would.
Sean Hayes
Well, there's so much, there's so much crossover, right?
Ike Barinholtz
Yeah, there is a lot of crossover now. I mean, Groundlings is more like UCB
Jason Bateman
doesn't go back that far. Right. Which is the oldest.
Ike Barinholtz
Yeah, like in like 95 or so Amy and the guys kind of left
Sean Hayes
Chicago and Matt and Ian. So Del Close, he knows this. Del Close was with the guy and they all studied with him. And he was your director. Was.
Jason Bateman
Was Groundlings or, or Second City. The oldest.
Ike Barinholtz
Second City's the oldest. Second city was like 1962. Like Ed Asner was in the original second.
Jason Bateman
Wow. Really?
Ike Barinholtz
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So there was that, that goes way back. Groundlings, I think, is more like mid-70s hippies.
Sean Hayes
So I. And did you not go? Am I. Do I have this wrong? Do you go to Amsterdam? Did you.
Jason Bateman
Sorry, Sean, we're recording Something.
Will Arnett
So wait one second. Look it. This is Favro. This is at Second City. Favro. That's me right there. That's Jack McBrayer right next to me.
Ike Barinholtz
Wait, were you at a touring company?
Will Arnett
No, that was. We just went back for like a. And. And Ramis. Harold Ramis right there.
Jason Bateman
Oh.
Will Arnett
And then we just went back for like an anniversary. But the fact that you said, Jack McBrayer, Second City, that's crazy. All those people that came out there, including yourself, from that whole troop and all of those things in Chicago, it's just. It doesn't happen anymore.
Ike Barinholtz
It feels like the mid-90s improv scene was. It was really fun. And then I would work at Second City as like a busboy and I would see like a. Like Tina when she first started. Like, Scott Adsed, Brian Stack, a lot of the, you know, Conan guys. Jerry Miner, just amazing.
Sean Hayes
Killers Stack, one of the all time greats. One of the all time greats.
Will Arnett
Yeah.
Sean Hayes
One of the all time greats.
Jason Bateman
You know, Willie, anytime anybody brings up these folks, you know them all. But did you ever do any time at one of these improv groups?
Sean Hayes
No, I was too dumb. Like, I was living in New York and there wasn't that same thing. And I wish I had. I didn't know it.
Jason Bateman
Yeah, you were going to a lot of them and you were hanging out with them a lot. This is even before Amy, right? It's probably how you met Amy.
Sean Hayes
So when Amy. Amy first came to New York with Matt and Matt in Ian as ucb, they did Bucket of Truth and they did the west bank downstairs. And one of my then agents, a man by the name of Peter Principato, my current manager, Mike's current manager, said to me, you've got to go and see this group that for doing this thing called Bucket of Truth. So I went there and that was 1996. They just moved in January of 96. I know all this. They moved in January of 96 to New York. I went and saw Bucket of Truth with my buddy, our buddy Duff, and my then girlfriend, Missy Yeager.
Will Arnett
I know Duff.
Ike Barinholtz
Yeah.
Sean Hayes
But anyway, I remember seeing those guys and being like, holy shit. And this is what was going on in Chicago, what all you guys were doing, and it wasn't in New York. And they brought it to New York, ucb, Amy and those guys. But it didn't exist. I wish I had done it. I was too dumb. And then by then, I got to know everybody, obviously, because I was around all those.
Ike Barinholtz
Well, do you remember in like 2000, maybe two or three together. We did a reading of Jerry Lewis's the Day the Clown Cried.
Sean Hayes
Fuck. Yes. You meet Cross, John Glazer.
Ike Barinholtz
John Glazer. God, who else?
Will Arnett
Rob, Hugh, and for my sister. The Day the Clown Cried is about a clown that visits the kids in the Holocaust.
Ike Barinholtz
Yes.
Sean Hayes
Right.
Jason Bateman
And it's a movie that famously was never released, right?
Ike Barinholtz
Yeah, yeah, it was. Jerry Lewis plays a Jewish clown who entertains the children as they're about to be murdered. And for some reason. And they never released it.
Sean Hayes
Yeah.
Jason Bateman
But was it. Was it Jerry Lewis that killed it? Did he, like, try to bury it, or was it. Was it the financier?
Sean Hayes
No, he.
Ike Barinholtz
I think Jerry Lewis himself was like, no, no, no, we can't. We can't show anyone this.
Sean Hayes
But the rumor is. The rumor is that Harry Shearer has a copy of it. Like, is that.
Ike Barinholtz
Yes.
Jason Bateman
Really?
Ike Barinholtz
There are some clips on YouTube. There's some clips on YouTube you could type it in, see, like. Like little small moments and stuff. The whole thing isn't out there yet.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, we did that. I forgot about. And there was a crazy. That was so much fun and everybody. And that. Not just everybody on stage, but everybody in the audience. It was so much people of that era.
Ike Barinholtz
It was the first time I felt cool on stage doing comedy. Like, there was cool people around, and I felt very cool for the first time. Holy shit.
Jason Bateman
Now, let's go back. I heard you say something like, college did not work out for you or something like that. It was a bit of a breeze over there. Let's double back to that and let's talk about.
Ike Barinholtz
About.
Jason Bateman
So from day one, he loves pain points.
Sean Hayes
He loves hitting pain points.
Jason Bateman
So you show up, you got your suitcases, and go from there.
Ike Barinholtz
I. I want. I went into Boston University hoping I would be a politician. And then.
Jason Bateman
Really?
Will Arnett
Really?
Ike Barinholtz
Yeah. Yeah.
Jason Bateman
Are you still interested in politics?
Ike Barinholtz
I. I'm disgusted by it.
Jason Bateman
Right.
Will Arnett
Yeah.
Ike Barinholtz
But I.
Jason Bateman
Yes, that's a.
Sean Hayes
Yes.
Ike Barinholtz
I'm perverted. I know a lot about it. I.
Jason Bateman
We don't have to talk about politics, but I'm just curious. So you studying poly sci at Boston? You. So you're not a dummy.
Ike Barinholtz
I was going to, and then right away I went crazy where I was like, oh, my God, if I never smoked Potter done mushrooms before. That started happening quite a bit.
Jason Bateman
You started to have some bad.
Ike Barinholtz
And then I just. The freedom of not having to do anything took me over and I kind of went crazy for a couple weeks and watched movies over and over again.
Jason Bateman
Yeah.
Ike Barinholtz
And, like, I watched 2001, like, seven or eight times.
Jason Bateman
Same in a week.
Ike Barinholtz
Yeah. And I kind of halfway through the semester, I was like, this isn't. I'm not.
Jason Bateman
I need more structure, right?
Sean Hayes
Yeah.
Ike Barinholtz
And I just wasn't enjoying that. And so I.
Jason Bateman
You couldn't handle the freedom.
Ike Barinholtz
I couldn't handle the freedom. I felt bad for my parents, so I told them everything was status quo and it was going great. And when I came home and finished the year, my dad, as a reward, took me to Las Vegas and LA on a vacation. Cause I finished my first year of college. And literally on the way to the airport, my mom called and was like, I just got a letter from bu. They're kicking him out. And that was problematic.
Sean Hayes
Trip's still on, right? Trip's still on.
Ike Barinholtz
The trip was literally, we were done and flying back home. And like, we sat on a Southwest flight, and my dad for, like, three hours was like, how could you do this to us? And I was like, I'm really sorry. But now they're very happy and everything's fine.
Sean Hayes
Of course they should be. So.
Jason Bateman
But so then. So then you stay in Chicago and you just start some odd jobs and go into the comedy clubs. And at what point did you go all in on having a conversation with your parents about, I'm going to pursue entertainment.
Ike Barinholtz
They knew that I was really enjoying improv and everything. And at that time, your kind of goal is to be on the second city main stage, and then eventually snl. That's the ultimate trajectory. And after a few years, I auditioned for this theater group in Amsterdam called Boom Chicago that, you know, a lot of our friends have gone. And that is where you are. Your job is acting. You don't have to have another day job. You just have to do shows at night. And I got hired by them and my parents. I told them, hey, this is it. I'm leaving. I'm doing this now. I'm an actor. And they have been. They're like, the most supportive parent. My dad became an actor. Like, you know what I mean? It's like. It's crazy. They are very, very powerful.
Sean Hayes
Wait, wait. I'm now remembering the reason I brought it up. I think the first time we Met was, like, 2001 or maybe two. And you and Josh Meyer, Seth's brother. Brother. Came back from Amsterdam and came to. I mean, our old, old apartment. Yes. Do you remember that?
Jason Bateman
Yeah.
Sean Hayes
Yes.
Ike Barinholtz
It was right after she got hired by snl.
Sean Hayes
Yes.
Ike Barinholtz
Yeah. It was that first season. Because Seth got hired at the same time. Yeah.
Will Arnett
Yeah, yeah. It's crazy.
Ike Barinholtz
It's crazy. I've known you a long time.
Sean Hayes
Well, that was 25 years ago, dude.
Ike Barinholtz
Yeah, it's nuts.
Sean Hayes
Wow. Okay.
Ike Barinholtz
It's crazy.
Sean Hayes
All right, so you. So you tip. Then they go, okay, great. You're going to do it. You're going to. You're going to be. And they're supportive and very supportive.
Ike Barinholtz
And. And.
Jason Bateman
Do you have brothers and sisters?
Ike Barinholtz
Younger brother. And then he decided he wanted to be an actor, too. And I was like, dude, don't do it. But he. Now he works. He was. He was on Superstore for years and. And creates shows and stuff. So we're like a. We're a showbiz family now. We're like. We're like the Arquettes.
Jason Bateman
So mom is the only one without a SAG card at this point. Point.
Ike Barinholtz
Mom is the only one. We're trying to Taft Hartley her and come on to, like, be on something. But she.
Sean Hayes
She.
Ike Barinholtz
She'll be tough, but we'll get her there. We'll get you there, Peggy.
Sean Hayes
So, but how did you get dialed into that whole crew of all the comedy? How did you get in? What was your first foray into that world?
Ike Barinholtz
Well, came. Moved to LA with Seth Meyers and Josh Meyers and my buddy Dave and. And for like a year and a half, I was like a busboy and just trying to break into stuff. But it was. Mad TV was my first gig. I got hired with Jo, and I did five years on Mad tv.
Will Arnett
Wow.
Ike Barinholtz
Which was.
Jason Bateman
I watched a lot of those. I used to love you and Josh on that. Truly.
Ike Barinholtz
It was, you know, it was one of those shows. I loved doing it until I didn't. It was tough at the time because snl, I think that's the best SNL cast ever. That, like, 2002 to 2008. Ish. You know what I mean? That was just like Poehler and Will and Wig and Fred, and it was just wild. And we would always get compared to them. Them. And it was just tough because sometimes you wanted Mad to be a little bit better. You wanted it to kind of not have kind of like guests and stuff. But it was. It was a great job.
Jason Bateman
Didn't you guys have, like a half hour jump start before? Did you guys come on at 11?
Ike Barinholtz
We did. We came on at 11. So we had a little bit of a head start.
Sean Hayes
And it was.
Ike Barinholtz
I will say it was very fun. My first TV show, I'm still friends with those guys. Like, Jordan was on there. Jordan Peele is like, one of my best friends. And we had a. It was very fun, but towards the end, I was getting restless and I was like, I need to be on a different show. I want to be on a sitcom. And then I left Mad TV and like, literally did not work for like three and a half years, which was.
Jason Bateman
That is the curse of a series.
Sean Hayes
Right.
Jason Bateman
You start feeling like all the things you're not being able to do and then you leave and it's like, oh, there's a lot of crickets out here.
Ike Barinholtz
Yeah.
Sean Hayes
Who was. Who was the guy who famously did that? What was the guy? He was on that show. He's on NYPD Blue.
Ike Barinholtz
David Caruso, baby.
Sean Hayes
David.
Will Arnett
David Caruso.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Jason Bateman
Well, in fairness to him, there's a. There's a long list of folks that
Sean Hayes
think he ended up having a very long career and he had a big show after that, too. He was awesome.
Ike Barinholtz
But yeah, he did do csi, but then you did.
Sean Hayes
And. And correct me if I'm wrong. So then after that, you do that and you have a. You do a couple things here and there. But it was then the Mindy Project, right, was that. That was the next big.
Ike Barinholtz
Basically, I did get. Danny McBride did cast me on Eastbound and Down at a time.
Sean Hayes
Okay, got it.
Ike Barinholtz
I just was not working and that was like a big deal for me.
Jason Bateman
Yeah, that show, that show, that, that group, what?
Sean Hayes
They're the best.
Ike Barinholtz
They are the best. I just saw him. Yeah, I love them. They're so cool. They're so original. And that was the first time I went onto a show that I was a die hard fan of.
Sean Hayes
So was it.
Jason Bateman
Was it a little nerve wracking at the beginning then? Was it. Was it what you thought it was going to be? As a, just as a viewer?
Ike Barinholtz
I was nervous enough, just like, I hope I'm as funny as these guys, but I also had to be a baseball player. I had to be like, best pitcher in the world.
Jason Bateman
And you don't have a lot of baseball talent.
Ike Barinholtz
I have a little bit of baseball. I'm like a. I'm like a. A solid five. But it was. That was a little bit of pressure.
Jason Bateman
You don't look like you're throwing with
Ike Barinholtz
your left hand, you know, I don't look like. No, no, no. I've seen like, bad, like Robert Redford's son in the Natural. Like when he throws it. It looks so bad. It looks so bad. I, I'm not that bad.
Sean Hayes
But I just saw a clip of the Natural the other day and Robert Referen, you know, when he strikes out, that guy in. When the train pulls over.
Ike Barinholtz
Joe Don Baker.
Sean Hayes
Yeah. And it's. And Redford had a pretty good release.
Jason Bateman
He had skills. He.
Ike Barinholtz
He was a good athlete. You could tell he's a good athlete.
Sean Hayes
And who's.
Ike Barinholtz
Who's not. It's pretty clear when you watch those. Yeah, but, yeah, there was pressure, but it was, like, so much fun, and I love those guys.
Sean Hayes
And from there, would you consider yourself the Redford of Eastbound Down?
Ike Barinholtz
Oh, oh, for sure.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, for sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Ike Barinholtz
The Redford and the Newman, quite frankly.
Sean Hayes
And the Newman, of course. Yeah. Why do I.
Ike Barinholtz
Both of them.
Sean Hayes
So you do Eastbounded down with those guys. But then the Mindy project, you do for a few years, you guys did, like, a lot.
Ike Barinholtz
Six seasons.
Sean Hayes
Yeah.
Ike Barinholtz
Six seasons.
Will Arnett
Wow.
Ike Barinholtz
It's crazy. Now we complain about 10. 10 episode shows, and it's like we used to do 22 episodes.
Will Arnett
It was a year every year.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, yeah.
Ike Barinholtz
It was nuts.
Sean Hayes
And through that process, you and Mindy get closer because you've ended up collaborating since then, and you guys have written together. You guys created Running Point. I think I mentioned that.
Jason Bateman
Yeah.
Ike Barinholtz
In the opening with Dave Stassen, my writing partner and best friend who's the true showrunner. But the three of us, we love her.
Sean Hayes
I mean, look, we're not here to talk about Dave, okay?
Ike Barinholtz
Can we just talk about him for.
Sean Hayes
No, no. I mean, we're here to talk about you.
Ike Barinholtz
Okay.
Sean Hayes
And Chuck Burnett, but we're not here to talk about Dave. Okay.
Ike Barinholtz
I don't know. I don't know if Jason remembers this, but in like 2019, I sat next to Jason at the Emmys. My wife and I. He does not remember your wife.
Sean Hayes
He does not.
Jason Bateman
Wait, I think I do. Wait, I think I do.
Ike Barinholtz
Right at the time come back, some horrible, like, abortion ban hit Atlanta. Yeah, yeah. And. And we were talking about it, and. And I was like, yeah, I actually do a lot of work with the aclu. And Jason goes, have they filed a lawsuit yet? And I go, you know what? I don't know. He goes, well, you really have your talking points in order, and they're lucky to have you as an ambassador. Like, locked and loaded, ready to go. I didn't know him that well.
Jason Bateman
I figured we'd skip a few dates and I'd just get right to hurtful. Sorry, I must have been nervous that night.
Ike Barinholtz
No, it was very funny. You were too busy winning multiple Emmys out there.
Jason Bateman
Nah, I didn't.
Ike Barinholtz
Ozark won some. Some.
Jason Bateman
That was. Was that one I won for directing, maybe.
Ike Barinholtz
Yeah. I think.
Sean Hayes
Here we go.
Will Arnett
A few SAG awards. He acts like it.
Sean Hayes
Is that what I won for?
Jason Bateman
I can't remember.
Sean Hayes
Oh, I for. Oh, sorry. That's my c. Oh, you won for directing.
Jason Bateman
No, no, no, no, no. Guys, just trim this part.
Will Arnett
Or.
Ike Barinholtz
Or just. Just.
Sean Hayes
Why are you saying trimming but you're shaking your head no.
Jason Bateman
Wait, is my camera on?
Sean Hayes
So, But. But I wanted to get, like. So you. What's awesome is, is that you. That you do all these shows and stuff, and now you're kind of. You've expanded, and you're. You're. You're writing and creating shows with Dave, your writing partner, and you guys are. And you're. You've got a kind of a very robust career going in a lot of different ways. And you're doing. You're creating running point. You're on that. You're doing the studio with. With. With Seth and Evan, those guys, which, I mean, you're so good on that show.
Jason Bateman
Real busty right now.
Will Arnett
Yeah. It's such a good show.
Sean Hayes
You are so good on that show, dude. It's amazing.
Ike Barinholtz
It's really nice, you guys. It's really fun. We're like. We got about three weeks left of shooting season two, and it's been long, but really fun and really.
Will Arnett
Yeah, crazy. I love it.
Ike Barinholtz
We went to Venice for two weeks. We shot for two weeks in Venice.
Sean Hayes
I saw that. Yeah.
Ike Barinholtz
With Madonna in the show.
Will Arnett
Oh, that's fun. Yeah.
Ike Barinholtz
Yeah. You waited for me late to drop that sound.
Jason Bateman
Okay.
Sean Hayes
I'm like the Fred Norris of this show. Hey, Fred, by the way.
Will Arnett
Okay.
Sean Hayes
Keep it ring up in the field. So I'm just doing old. Old.
Ike Barinholtz
What are you saying? I would love to.
Sean Hayes
I would love to.
Ike Barinholtz
Shut up. Sit up, you idiot.
Sean Hayes
Don't touch it, you idiot.
Ike Barinholtz
I told you not to be stupid. You.
Will Arnett
Wait, so I. When you. When you do.
Ike Barinholtz
Sorry, Sean, what were you asking?
Sean Hayes
Yeah, Sean, what were you saying? Sean, did you want to say something?
Jason Bateman
Go for Sean. Wait, is that on your third button on your phone? So it's always there and ready to go.
Sean Hayes
It's ready to go. It's so fun. I'm having a lot of fun right now. I'm so jacked up on coffee. Ike's here. Ike likes to.
Jason Bateman
I'm in a yerba mate sweat. Yeah.
Ike Barinholtz
Oh, yeah.
Jason Bateman
Guys. Okay, so, Sean, you had something.
Will Arnett
So I had a question about how. How do you balance family?
Sean Hayes
Oh, for sake.
Will Arnett
Dude, Are you real.
Jason Bateman
Right? What's your real work life?
Will Arnett
Well, because like you said, you're like in Venice and you're doing this. You're doing like 18 shows at the same time. And then you. But you have how many kids you have?
Ike Barinholtz
I have three daughters.
Jason Bateman
Come on.
Sean Hayes
Wow.
Jason Bateman
Girl. Dad.
Ike Barinholtz
And I'm not home as much as I like, but my wife's boyfriend is a great guy. I'm so it was kind of rocky at first between me and him for obviously, but now it's got mom. He's like, really good and he's really good with my kids. And you're not. Yeah, we're just kind of letting that rise.
Sean Hayes
Is he still doing the MMA stuff? Is he still into that?
Ike Barinholtz
Yeah.
Sean Hayes
Martial arts. Yeah.
Ike Barinholtz
Well, you guys know Andrew Tate, You've heard of.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Ike Barinholtz
He's actually not as bad as people say.
Sean Hayes
And how did your daughters get along with his four pitbulls?
Jason Bateman
Like pretty good or now?
Ike Barinholtz
Yes. Now they have the mouth guards. Yeah. The muzzles. They can't bite now, but it was a little touch and go for a minute.
Jason Bateman
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Jason Bateman
How old are the little angels?
Ike Barinholtz
The little angel. Hello, little angels.
Jason Bateman
They're listening.
Ike Barinholtz
They are 8, 10 and soon to be 13.
Will Arnett
Wow.
Jason Bateman
God.
Ike Barinholtz
Right in the. Right in the zone.
Jason Bateman
So nice, you know, it's fun.
Will Arnett
It's fun.
Ike Barinholtz
I watched an interview with Bob Odenkirk and Mike Birbiglia. Asked him, he's like, who are you jealous of? And he meant like professionally.
Sean Hayes
Yeah.
Ike Barinholtz
And Bob goes, oh, anyone that still has little kids at home.
Jason Bateman
And I was like, yeah, I'm with them. I got a 14 year old still in the house and I just like to keep her in a box. Stop it right there.
Will Arnett
And does. And you do? I do.
Jason Bateman
I do. I put a punch. Little holes in the top of it.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, it is true. It is true. It is. The best part is keeping them young. It's so good. Don't. I got a little six year old. My guy's about to turn six. Yeah, yeah.
Ike Barinholtz
And I said, what are you gonna do for him?
Jason Bateman
Hold on, Ike.
Sean Hayes
We're doing a. We're doing a party at a place called.
Jason Bateman
You don't have to say the name of the place. I just want to like.
Sean Hayes
I like it because it's got ninja in the name. But it doesn't matter.
Jason Bateman
You're looking for a break. No. You're looking for a break on the Mind.
Sean Hayes
By the way, they're crushing me on the price for this thing for a couple kids.
Jason Bateman
You want it on the weekend, right? You do it during the week, you get a real deal.
Sean Hayes
Brooklyn. Jesus Christ. Anyway, so Ike. So, Ike. So you're the light work life balance that John is so desperate to know about. It's fine. You figure it out. You're working. Everybody knows Dad's on the.
Ike Barinholtz
Yes.
Sean Hayes
And by the way, like, we talk about it all the time. We go away, but everybody has busy. My dad wasn't an actor, but he was busy a lot. He was off working and he had. He was like, I gotta provide for the family. So he's off doing his show, he's
Jason Bateman
driving down to Molson and he's checking the taps, and then he's coming home, you know, still fresh boys flying off somewhere. He was.
Sean Hayes
He was on the road a lot, right, Sean?
Will Arnett
Yeah.
Sean Hayes
You know that.
Will Arnett
Yeah, yeah, yeah. What's a knickerbocker?
Ike Barinholtz
Huh?
Jason Bateman
Oh, well, this is a. This is an old phrase from New York City.
Ike Barinholtz
He's like a metropolitan fellow, maybe.
Jason Bateman
Where I believe it is. Yes, let's go with that. I believe it is a. No. I don't think it's necessarily a dandy holding on to that, but. Will, are you searching it? I'm going to search it up.
Sean Hayes
No, I'm not.
Jason Bateman
Let's go to our next question. Hey, Siri, what's a knickerbocker?
Sean Hayes
Oh, descendant of the original Dutch settlers,
Jason Bateman
or knickers in the United States are a form of baggy knee britches?
Sean Hayes
No, it's a person descended from the original Dutch settlers of New York, or more broadly, a native or resident of New York City.
Ike Barinholtz
Do you guys like trivia? Are you guys are anywhere. Are there any of you trivia heads?
Jason Bateman
No, I wouldn't.
Will Arnett
I'm a little bit. I watch Jeopardy.
Sean Hayes
So I was gonna mention this. Ike's got a trivia podcast that he's doing now that we're always gonna plug after.
Will Arnett
Oh, for real?
Sean Hayes
Funny call. Funny. You have ask.
Ike Barinholtz
So Will. Will was going to do it and he texted me. He's like, hey, man, I. I can't do it. And I thought it was going to
Sean Hayes
be like, I didn't sound like that in text, by the way, but go ahead.
Ike Barinholtz
That's how I read your text and I thought it was going to be like, you know, work thing came up or a kid thing. And he's like, I. I. Kid Bateman really wants to go golfing.
Sean Hayes
Oh,
Jason Bateman
you. How dare you.
Sean Hayes
I sold you out. I sold you out. You go, cuz. Jason. Well, it was here I did tell
Jason Bateman
you was at that thing a couple weeks ago.
Sean Hayes
It's the last time he played. Yeah, it was the last time he was leaving town before he was moving for New York. So Bateman says, I'll do it. And so Bateman texted me, well, why don't you just reschedule.
Jason Bateman
I don't sound like that on text.
Sean Hayes
Why don't you just reschedule with Mike and do it on a later day and join me on the golf course tomorrow?
Jason Bateman
I don't want to sound like Paul Lynn always.
Sean Hayes
That's who it is. That's who you sound like. I've been trying to place it now, but did he. So I had to be honest. I wanted to be honest with you,
Ike Barinholtz
and I truly appreciate that. Because if he would have been like, it's, I have a work thing, and then I went golfing and saw him there, I'd be crushed, you know?
Jason Bateman
Did you offer him a rescheduling date?
Ike Barinholtz
Well, he did.
Sean Hayes
I did. I did. And I'm here and I'm waiting. He's out of town and I'm waiting for him to get back. And I'm going to do it.
Ike Barinholtz
We're actually going to do it right after we finish this pod.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, we're going to do it.
Will Arnett
Wait, you got some questions, Ike?
Ike Barinholtz
I do have some questions for you guys. I started a trivia podcast cuz I love trivia, right? I'm obsessed with trivia. I've, I've, I've gone on.
Jason Bateman
Have you been on Jeopardy?
Ike Barinholtz
I won Celebrity Jeopardy, Mr. Bateman.
Jason Bateman
Wait, what?
Will Arnett
Oh, wow.
Ike Barinholtz
I didn't know I won Celebrity Jeopardy.
Sean Hayes
He's one who wants to be a millionaire.
Ike Barinholtz
One celebrity wants to be a millionaire.
Jason Bateman
Like, what's the game? In the bars?
Ike Barinholtz
The.
Will Arnett
In the bars.
Jason Bateman
Oh, pub trivia. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Ike Barinholtz
I've done that before. That's very fun. That's very fun. But I want to do a podcast where I interview friends of mine who are, like, funny or cool and then ask them trivia questions about subjects that they kind of.
Jason Bateman
I'd love to read for it.
Ike Barinholtz
Well, you're. We. We are out to your people. I'm sure you guys want a couple questions. I wrote.
Sean Hayes
I wrote some questions, obviously. Obviously.
Ike Barinholtz
Okay, let's go.
Will Arnett
Let's.
Ike Barinholtz
Let's go. You can just call out the answer if you know it. Okay.
Jason Bateman
There's no buzzer.
Ike Barinholtz
No. Just say your name for the buzzer.
Jason Bateman
Okay.
Ike Barinholtz
Okay. When? At the Battle of the Hastings. Jason, this was.
Sean Hayes
What do you got?
Will Arnett
Sorry, 19.
Ike Barinholtz
At the battle of the Hastings. This Norman king was the conqueror.
Sean Hayes
William the Conqueror.
Ike Barinholtz
Okay, I blew that question. Ready? Here we go. This American car.
Sean Hayes
1060, by the way. 1066.
Ike Barinholtz
Yes, 1066. This American car company ceased production in 2004. This American what part of this American car company ceased production in 2004, but was part of GM.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, I know what it is.
Jason Bateman
Jason Oldsmobile.
Ike Barinholtz
Yes. Jason Bateman.
Will Arnett
Wow.
Ike Barinholtz
How do you know that name another marks brother besides Groucho or Harpo?
Will Arnett
Yeah, Sean Groucho. Harpo. And
Jason Bateman
you were in the movie, Richard.
Will Arnett
No, that was the Three Stooges. Richard. Oh, no, wait. It starts with a P, right? Does it start with a P?
Ike Barinholtz
It start. There's a C, a C, a G
Will Arnett
and a Z. Yeah.
Sean Hayes
Zeppo.
Will Arnett
Zeppo.
Ike Barinholtz
Zepp.
Sean Hayes
Ah, that's right.
Ike Barinholtz
Looking for Chico. Gummo or Zeppo. The Eastern region of Canada. The eastern region of Canada consists of three provinces and is known as what is.
Sean Hayes
Is known as the Commonwealth.
Jason Bateman
Commonwealth. Jason.
Sean Hayes
No, no, no, no, no. Maritimes.
Ike Barinholtz
Yes. Who was the 10th US president?
Jason Bateman
Oh, God. Jason.
Will Arnett
Yes.
Sean Hayes
Lincoln McKinley.
Jason Bateman
No.
Ike Barinholtz
John Tyler. This actress has won more Emmys than any other actor.
Jason Bateman
Jason.
Ike Barinholtz
Yes.
Will Arnett
Is it Julie Louis Dreyfus?
Ike Barinholtz
It is Julie Louis Dreyfus. Damn it. Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens and Oliver Cromwell are buried in what London landmark, Jason?
Jason Bateman
It is the.
Sean Hayes
The big.
Jason Bateman
The big church, the big cathedral. The Big Gry.
Ike Barinholtz
Boom. Two more. This man is the NHL's all time leading scorer.
Will Arnett
Sean.
Jason Bateman
Jason. Wayne Gresky.
Sean Hayes
Wayne Gresky.
Ike Barinholtz
No, it's Ovechkin.
Sean Hayes
Score. No score of goals. Score. I. I was including points. Sorry.
Ike Barinholtz
Okay.
Sean Hayes
I knew it was ovetin. Most goals.
Ike Barinholtz
Sorry, last one. Infant insects are called nymphs or small bugs.
Jason Bateman
J.
Will Arnett
Infant insects are called bug, Jason. Or larva. I don't know.
Ike Barinholtz
Larva is correct. Nice job, guys. You guys got the majority of those, right?
Sean Hayes
God, that's so cool that three of us could get 20% of them, right?
Will Arnett
Welcome to Smart list.
Sean Hayes
Yeah. Oh, shit. Oh, my God.
Jason Bateman
Well, what's the name of that. What's the name of that podcast there?
Ike Barinholtz
That podcast, Jason, thank you for asking, is called funny you ask.
Jason Bateman
Well, that seems like a tune in.
Sean Hayes
And you just had our friend. You just had our mutual friend Adam Pally on there, who. Who host a podcast for us, which
Ike Barinholtz
I love with him and Gabrius.
Jason Bateman
Yeah, what's that one called? Cross Plug.
Sean Hayes
Cross Plug.
Will Arnett
Staying Alive.
Sean Hayes
Staying Alive. It's a smartless media podcast. Check it. Wherever you get your podcasts with Gabrius and Adam Pally. Adam Pally is so funny.
Ike Barinholtz
He is one of the funniest dude.
Sean Hayes
He is a great guy. He is so funny, that dude, isn't he?
Ike Barinholtz
He said I was asking him, what would you give? What would you do if the Knicks could win the championship? And I named a bunch of things like, would you change your middle name to Stalin? He was like, yes, Yes. I was like, would.
Will Arnett
Would you.
Ike Barinholtz
Every time you turn on the TV for the rest of your life, it's only Kill Tony. He's like, yes. The one thing he said he wouldn't do is give up chicken parm.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, I saw that.
Jason Bateman
I can't.
Ike Barinholtz
I can't give up chicken.
Will Arnett
I'm sorry. I just can't.
Sean Hayes
Now.
Jason Bateman
Do you have a co host on your. On your show?
Ike Barinholtz
No, it's all me, man. It's solo.
Jason Bateman
Wow. It's once a week.
Ike Barinholtz
It's once a week, and I write all the questions for my guest. It's one hour.
Sean Hayes
You do all your own questions?
Ike Barinholtz
I write the questions for the guests, and I really love doing that. It's like, I. It's a fun way to kind of, like, get into their head a little bit. And then my producer, Annabelle, writes the questions that the guest asks me, because I also want to do a podcast where I answer questions as well.
Sean Hayes
But that's still, like, a lot of work that you're doing, considering all the shit you're doing. You're writing, you're writing Running point. You're. You're EPing that show, you're doing the studio, you're doing this podcast, you're running around doing all this. Like, how the.
Jason Bateman
You got an Adderall addiction?
Ike Barinholtz
I, I have a minor speed addiction that we're trying to kick right now. Cut this, guys.
Sean Hayes
Another trim point. A number. Can I get a number with the
Will Arnett
podcast and the movies and the being a father and everything else. When do you slow down? What do you do to slow down?
Jason Bateman
Yoga.
Ike Barinholtz
Yoga. I, I. When Jason was saying I like to watch tv, that's like, my favorite thing to do is, like, at the end of the day is to watch, like.
Jason Bateman
And what's your fave. Is it reality to tv? Something dumb.
Ike Barinholtz
The only reality tv. Not too much.
Sean Hayes
We.
Ike Barinholtz
We just finished Beef season two.
Sean Hayes
Sure.
Ike Barinholtz
I like watching good TV shows.
Jason Bateman
So you'll get. You'll climb in and. And the Wii is. Is that the girlfriend or the. Or the wife?
Ike Barinholtz
The. The. That's the wife. The girlfriend does not like tv. The girlfriend wants to go out to nightclub.
Sean Hayes
Yeah, she wants to take her out to nightclub. She likes bottle service.
Ike Barinholtz
No, my wife and I. She actually is working at the club and does the bottle service.
Sean Hayes
Of course. That makes a lot of sense.
Ike Barinholtz
I don't know if you guys had this with your wife where. My wife does want to go to bed, like, earlier and earlier. She worked. And so there's some nights where it's like 8:52 and she's like, should we just go to bed? And it's like this. It's like a push and pull. We're like, no, we have to watch like 46 minutes of a TV show right now.
Jason Bateman
But what about. Why can't. But you're, you're not watching the TV shows in bed.
Ike Barinholtz
We don't. We did not put a TV in our bed.
Sean Hayes
That's smart. It's terrible for your sleep.
Jason Bateman
Shut up. Like, are you guys both keeping the sex alive by TV in there?
Ike Barinholtz
This is.
Sean Hayes
But so you're watching, by the way, that Beef, season two. I. Can I just shout out, obviously, Chuck Arnett, but Carey Mulligan. Yeah, the great Carey Mulligan.
Jason Bateman
The great Carey Mulligan.
Sean Hayes
Carey Mulligan is the most underrated actor of our generation.
Ike Barinholtz
She's really good.
Will Arnett
And Carrie's great.
Sean Hayes
I love.
Jason Bateman
I will say, though, that always sounds like a bat. Like, that always sounds like a backhanded compliment. I will say to those who, who know what they're talking about. She is not underrated. They're talking pl.
Sean Hayes
I know. I just, I just mean, I just mean she should be lauded. There should just be permanent billboards of her not even promoting a movie just because she's.
Jason Bateman
I agree with you.
Sean Hayes
I, I, I can't.
Ike Barinholtz
You should take, you should buy some. Take them out.
Sean Hayes
I will. I don't know if Marcus will. Her husband will love it. He might think that, you know, I'm sorry. It's a little much. Anyway.
Jason Bateman
Hey.
Will Arnett
Yeah.
Jason Bateman
We are at hour one. I know we're at hour, but let's get to our first question.
Sean Hayes
I love, I love Ike. I just love hanging out with Mike. I was so excited. Excited. I said to Sean before we were FaceTiming before, you know, the core part of smart list. We're FaceTiming before, just Sean and me. And we were. And I was saying, he was saying, is your guest good? I said, oh, our guest is so good. We just want to hang out and laugh and do like.
Will Arnett
That's, that's, that's exactly right.
Ike Barinholtz
Right.
Jason Bateman
Do you have any questions, Will?
Sean Hayes
No. Fuck no, I do.
Jason Bateman
You don't, do you?
Sean Hayes
I had a bunch like, what's a note that you've gotten as an actor or writer that really changed how you approach your work? You collaborated with a lot, lot of comedic voices. What do you think makes a collaboration? Who cares?
Jason Bateman
Who cares?
Ike Barinholtz
This is the show.
Sean Hayes
Did you. Jo, today
Ike Barinholtz
I'm let's just say I'm in a hotel room by myself. Enough said.
Sean Hayes
I. When did. First of all, when did season three of the studio come out? Because I can't wait.
Ike Barinholtz
That's. That's going to come out next March, I believe, off March 2027.
Will Arnett
Wow. Takes him that long to cut it together.
Sean Hayes
What's up with Rogan and Evan? What are they doing, man?
Ike Barinholtz
They're smoking doobies, man.
Sean Hayes
I know. These guys are doing the grass. I bought one of. I told. I bought one of Seth's. His standing ashtrays. No, I bought two of them and I sent him a pic and I said, I am supporting the cause as an investor.
Ike Barinholtz
I say thank you.
Sean Hayes
Oh, no.
Ike Barinholtz
Yeah, a little bit.
Sean Hayes
You guys want to cut me a deal? I paid retail on the website, dude.
Ike Barinholtz
I only invest in my friends companies. We have no money in the market. No mutual funds, no Roth ira. I just invest in my friend's small business.
Sean Hayes
That is.
Jason Bateman
So what's your email? I'm going to send you a prospectus on something.
Ike Barinholtz
Yeah, it's an old email. It's Dumbass Ike at aol. I gotta show her for myriad reasons.
Jason Bateman
You're four minutes over, Will.
Sean Hayes
I know, I know. I just want to say I. I love. I love having you. I love that you. I love that the rest of the world appreciates what a fucking great, funny dude you are. Increasingly. And I've loved watching the success you've had with the studio. I'm just fucking always rooting for you as you reach these like, crazy heights. And everybody. When the studio came out.
Jason Bateman
You said it earlier. I light up every time I see you.
Sean Hayes
100%. You always have a great vibe. And then now you've taken to the next level. And like, everybody's like, have you people are like, have you seen Ike Barinhoz on the fucking studio? He's so fucking funny. You're so fucking good.
Will Arnett
And aside from all that, you get hired over and over because you're normal and easy and kind and a good person.
Jason Bateman
You are talented.
Sean Hayes
You are.
Will Arnett
Aside from all the talent.
Sean Hayes
It is true. If you're. If you're listening out there to our. To our listener and you've got a script. I. If you got a script, Ike is the guy to send it to. Give me the email one more time.
Ike Barinholtz
He'll put his name on. I might not be the best actor or the funniest actor, but I'm on time.
Sean Hayes
Yeah.
Ike Barinholtz
I'm respectful.
Sean Hayes
Yeah.
Ike Barinholtz
And that is all that matters.
Sean Hayes
You are truly for our listener. I will Say truly, you're one of the fucking great good dudes out there, and I really mean that.
Ike Barinholtz
This is a bucket list list thing for me, guys. I'm dying.
Sean Hayes
What a guy.
Jason Bateman
This guy. Take another bow, Ike B. Hold the one and only. Thank you, Ike, for joining us, my friend.
Sean Hayes
Give our love to everybody over there on your cast that you guys are doing the baftas with. Tell them we say hi. We love you guys and love you.
Ike Barinholtz
Amazing. Love you.
Jason Bateman
Hurry home.
Will Arnett
Thanks.
Ike Barinholtz
Bye, everybody.
Will Arnett
Bye.
Sean Hayes
Like, I love that dude. I love that dude.
Jason Bateman
That's one of those fellas that I. I have not yet worked with. And I'm. I'm. I'm not happy about it, you know? And you know who else? Like, you know, like, Seth, Evan, Judd Apatow. Like, I've never been. Never been included in that group ever. No one's ever, you know, said, hey, why don't you come on over and
Sean Hayes
play a little bit? No, stop. Stop for a second. Take a beat and let's look at. Let's look at ourselves, Jason. Let's look at ourselves for a second. What's my part in it? What is your role in it?
Jason Bateman
What is my.
Sean Hayes
Wouldn't.
Will Arnett
Hang on.
Ike Barinholtz
Let me get a mirror.
Jason Bateman
Let me get a mirror.
Sean Hayes
Don't get one of those true mirrors. Don't get one of those true mirrors.
Will Arnett
What's a true mirror?
Sean Hayes
Have you ever seen those where you. It's not even just a reflection. Like, it kind of sees, like, what the world sees of you.
Jason Bateman
It's just inverted.
Sean Hayes
It's inverted. It's scary.
Jason Bateman
Af. Wait, really? It's different that you're just. Your face is flipped the other way around.
Sean Hayes
You look. Yes. Have you never done it? It's.
Jason Bateman
I think the iPhone, if you reverse the camera is. That's the way people. People see you?
Will Arnett
I don't know. No, you just see the room you're in.
Sean Hayes
I don't know.
Jason Bateman
Yeah, but I mean, that's the perspective of. Of people looking at you.
Sean Hayes
Oh, you're in luck. MIT just called. They have an opening like what I'm
Jason Bateman
looking at right now on this zoom. I'm assuming that is the perspective that you would have if you were sitting across from me. Right? Because the camera's in front of me.
Will Arnett
Yeah. Yeah, I guess so. Yeah.
Jason Bateman
I'm not sure.
Sean Hayes
Can we get Tyson?
Jason Bateman
Neil DeGrasse Tyson on the blower, please?
Sean Hayes
This is so depressing.
Jason Bateman
Wait, Sean's got. Here he comes. I'm just going to see his eyes.
Will Arnett
Here it is.
Jason Bateman
Scotty just DM'd him just DM'd him a little by.
Will Arnett
No, no. Let me see.
Sean Hayes
Okay, okay, I'm looking up. Something else has nothing to do with scrolling. Scrolling.
Will Arnett
Do you remember the.
Sean Hayes
Oh, hey, do you guys. Hey, this is a weird thing I was just thinking about.
Will Arnett
Do you remember that Beatles song or Paul McCartney song where he's singing about a bird or something?
Ike Barinholtz
Oh, wait a second.
Jason Bateman
Blackbird.
Will Arnett
Yeah.
Sean Hayes
Out of left field.
Will Arnett
Yeah. That's Wrigley Field. That's Wrigley Field. And when. And when this and when the. When the. When the ball goes out of Wrigley Field.
Jason Bateman
Sure.
Will Arnett
You say what to it? You say bye bye ball. Bye bye Black. Blackbird. Hey, guys, where did you go?
Jason Bateman
Blackbird. Bye.
Sean Hayes
Hey.
Will Arnett
Bye.
Sean Hayes
Smart less. Smart less Smartless is 100% organic and artisanally handcrafted by Rob Armor, Bennett Barbico and Michael Grantieri. Smart Less hi, I'm Angie Hicks, co founder of angie.
Ike Barinholtz
When you use Angie for your home
Sean Hayes
projects, you know all your jobs will be done well.
Ike Barinholtz
Roof repair, done well.
Sean Hayes
Kitchen sink install, done well. Deck upgrades done well.
Ike Barinholtz
Electrical upgrade down well.
Will Arnett
Angie's been connecting homeowners with skilled pros
Ike Barinholtz
for nearly 30 years.
Sean Hayes
So we know the difference between done and done well.
Jason Bateman
Angie the one you trust to find
Sean Hayes
the ones you trust.
Jason Bateman
Find a pro for your project@angie.com the future of law is agentic. Not just tools that assist, but AI agents that navigate complex matters. Harvey was built on legal agents that analyze, draft and execute with precision. But great lawyers don't just complete tasks, they strategize. That's why Harvey created agents that can do the work from end to end. They build a plan, pull from secure data sources, run sub agents in parallel, and draft the work product ready for your review. So you delegate the work and own the judgment. Harvey agents support work across fund formation, litigation, regulatory compliance, M and A and more, adapting to the complexity of each matter and the way your team actually works. Trusted by more than 60% of the AmLaw100 and leading Fortune 500 legal teams, Harvey is the AI operating system designed specifically for legal work, helping teams move faster with greater precision and confidence. Harvey AI Tailored for law Learn more at Harvey AI Harvey does not provide legal advice and use. User should always independently review and verify any output provided by Harvey.
Air date: July 6, 2026
Hosts: Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett
Guest: Ike Barinholtz
This episode welcomes comedian, actor, writer, and director Ike Barinholtz for a freewheeling, hilarious, and organic conversation. The hosts—Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett—bond with Ike over shared experiences in comedy, acting, and the ups-and-downs of creative life. The episode is brimming with stories from Ike's improv background, memorable behind-the-scenes showbiz moments, thoughtful takes on work-life balance, and plenty of unscripted laughs.
The episode encapsulates what makes SmartLess a hit: warmth, camaraderie, organic storytelling, industry-insider fun, and genuine affection for their guest. Ike Barinholtz fits right into the SmartLess mix, sharing stories from the trenches of comedy, radio, and TV, with lots of laughs and a few sweet reflections on family and success.
If you want a peek inside the contemporary comedic landscape—with a deep-dish Chicago crust and an encore of nerdy trivia—this episode’s for you.